1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a portable electronic device and, more particularly, to a compliant hinge arrangement between slidable sections of the portable electronic device.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
Compliant hinges can be found in several plastic products, such as a living hinge on a cap of a shampoo bottle for example. Some compliant switch sliding has been used in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices in the past such as shown in FIG. 1. MEMS is the integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics on a common silicon substrate through micro-fabrication technology. A compliant hinge has been used in a flip-type mobile telephone such as the NOKIA model number 2652 phone where one housing section rotates relative to another housing section between a folded position and an unfolded position. Slide-type mobile telephones are also known such as the NOKIA model number 6265 phone for example.
The competition in mobile phone markets becomes tougher every year; especially in the low-end segment where the profit margin is low. In order to increase profits for a manufacturer, the only way is to lower the bill of materials. This means that the devices must be made cheaper and with lesser parts, but still have the same functionalities. Thus, there is a need to manufacture portable electronic devices, such as slide-type mobile telephones for example, with lesser parts than in conventional devices. There is also a need to provide an assembly which is simple because there are no parts on a sliding mechanism. There is also a need to provide a bill of material for manufacturing a slide phone which is expected to be less than in a conventional sliding phone.